Voting system skews results, delivers phony majority: Fair Vote

The Conservative and New Democratic parties will be over-represented in Parliament thanks to a voting system that cheats Canadians, according to an analysis by Fair Vote Canada.

When the group, which advocates replacing the current first-past-the-post system with one that awards seats in numbers closer to the popular vote, released its figures early May 3 the standings were:

Conservative: 167

NDP: 102

Liberal: 34

Bloc Quebecois: 4

Green: 1

With proportional representation Prime Minister Stephen Harper would have won a minority government, with these seat totals:

Conservative: 122

NDP: 95

Liberal: 59

Bloc Quebecois: 19

Green: 13

The Conservatives only received two percent more votes than they did in the 2008 election, but they gained 24 seats, the release quoted Fair Vote Canada Bronwen Bruch saying. "Stephen Harper calls this a 'decisive endorsement', but we call it a rip-off," she said.

Winning 54.22 percent of the seats with just 39.62 percent of the votes makes it "one of the least legitimate majorities in Canadian history," the release said.

The NDP in the past has supported adopting a proportional representation system. Fair Vote said they are now over-represented by seven seats.

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.